A day of Rest?

Monday Jan 21,2008

*I need to bring attention to something that I wrote in my last blog…something about how the sun sets in the west here and not the east!! Thanks to those that pointed it out! :) As I said, I was Super tired when I got back last night….but I remember Pastor H. waking me up to ask me if I’d ever seen the sun set in the east or something like that…maybe since I was tired I heard wrong… just wanted to clear that up!!

*As I think back to my very first village experience on Friday (18th) I remember that same mother who said she would like me for a daughter also wanted to know my age (21) and then proceeded to say that I should have had babies already…and I’m thinking, I should have had many babies by now!!! (with as young as some of the mothers are…mere teenagers). This was all said to me in Swahili, so of course Pastor H. is translating for me! But I take it as a compliment when some of the mama’s in the villages tell me I could stay and live there!! :)


As I get more comfortable being here, not only in Morogoro but going to different villages as well (although, that is always a different experience) I get more used to the way of life…the sights, the sounds, the climate, the smells…oh the smells… I’m even smelling like the villages now-which have a very distinct smell…we would say literally “it smells” but it is just distinct and unique and I don’t mind it so much! :)

Today I thought I was going to have more time to study/rest, but again, such is life~ hakuna matata, right?!

It is a new week so we changed teachers! I now have Moreto (whom I mentioned came with us to the village yesterday)! He is a tall, quiet fellow…and actually kiiMaasai! But he is educated, obviously and living here at the school. I do now know much more except that he is 8th out of 9 children and his father has 8 wives… I hope to learn more about his life this week?! He is a patient teacher, but doesn’t know as much English, and so whereas Elizabeth could easily answer all of my crazy questions about the language, it is harder for him.

I learned the verb for to have diarrhea… yes, that’s right, there is actually a verb for it!! Because it is so common here it is not a taboo subject (as in America…)!

My afternoon lesson went much better as I was not as rusty as the warming…taking 3 days off with no practice was not good…but for now I am back on track!! I do not know if my teacher will be coming with on the village visit tomorrow or not… part of me hopes not as I am still tired from last weekend and would like a break! Or maybe to read a book actually! I am sad that Luka will not be coming with us, but Pastor H. sent him off today to work on building a church somewhere 5-6 hours away for the week… but that means as Pastor H. says, “we will still pick up plenty of passengers!” :)

Not much to reflect on today… am definitely feeling tired (as I’ve mentioned before)!!

Have a good one!!

abiding in Him,
Alana :)